I bought gas today, for the first time

whew, you drive less than me!

 

Yes you really DID.
I thought that the car would alert you every 6 months to put in some fresh fuel.

 

Maybe the same amount these days.

I know the last 2 weeks I've only put on 13 miles.

Next week it'll be back to 400 or so as I return to "essential personnel" status.

 

i'm still doing my 8 miles a day

 

Where ya goin?

I'm physical distancing and only have ventured out twice in 2 weeks.

That was to pick take out food up .

But the wife double ordered and now we are stocked for a bit.

The Covid Jenga thread applies for our 2 refrigerators currently.

 

we drive four miles each way to walk along the river. it's a nice quiet area to practice social distancing in the fresh air

 

Not necessarily. EV drivers, and those who emulate them, don't need worry about having only 1/3 if a tank left, they can go significantly lower.

The Owner's Manual doesn't actually say how long that reminder interval is, but it does say to add at least 20 liters (5.3 gallons) every 12 months. So by the OM, he could have still waited until August.

 

I forgot to plug-in last night. My commute is 20 miles round-trip. I was able to make it to the office in EV mode but on the way home I actually had to burn some gas today. There goes my 1000 miles to the gallon average. Still loving my prime.

 

IF.....you are going to stretch it that long, does the OM recommend putting stabilizer in the tank ?
Without added stabilizer, that interval certainly would make me a bit nervous.
OK truth is that it would make me a bit nervous even WITH stabilizer.

 

No.

The stabilizers you have used are probably made for unsealed or comparatively poorly sealed tanks, where slow evaporation changes the mixture. Current PHEVs such as the Prime have better-sealed tanks than any car you have owned, even better than any non-plugin Prius. See past threads for links to articles discussing the cooperative efforts between CARB, GM, Toyota, and other manufacturers to develop a new evaporative emission standard for PHEVs.

 

We're never going to bring about the end to fossil fuel consumption- if you don't start doing your share to use it all up.
I suggest investment into a mid-80's large pick-up as your daily driver. Bonus points for a rusted bed, and or gun rack.

 

If there is some reminder the car offers to the driver, I never got one in the 10 months I went without a fill-up. And even then, I had 7/8ths of a tank at 10 months. The only reason I needed gas was a driving vacation to the east coast and I didn't have to fill it until we had traveled well over 400 miles.

The absolutely full tank I have now was bought in December at $2.56 / gal. Maybe I should have waited. I think the gas price free-fall has about ended.

 

Not true at all.
They are made for, and recommended for, gasoline stored in ANY container, including ones that are totally and perfectly sealed.

 

Of course they are made for any situation. Marketeers will make and sell things to fill any perceived need, whether it is actually needed or not. And whether the products they sell actually work, or not!

Toyota's Owner's Manuals don't tell owners to use these products. The Primes have been out on the street for 3 years, the PiPs for 8 years. If these stabilizers are actually needed, shouldn't we already be seeing problem reports from users who neglected to use these products? And already seeing TSBs from Toyota updating their maintenance guides to include such products?

 

I absolutely agree with those comments.
But.............
Are you a chemical engineer who is actually qualified to give an expert assessment of the question at hand ? (Doubt it).
Are you actually claiming that gasoline in a sealed container will not go bad over time ? (Not true.)

I simply said that I would not feel comfortable.
I did not actually say that there was any kind of critical need because I don't know for sure.

 

And you?

I have posted relevant links on this topic, concerning the cooperative efforts between CARB and the PHEV manufacturers, in a past thread.

 

I said "I don't know for sure."
What more do you want ??

You expect others to remember the details of everything you have posted in the past ?
Out of 13,340 posts, that just ain't gonna happen.

 

... an occasional link or pointer to news or reference materials or agreed-upon experts to support or back up 'opinions'.

Everyone can supply opinions and conventional wisdom and old wives tales and urban legends and fake news. References help in separating the good from the garbage. But some people just never point to them.

 

PHEV's have been around for a decade now.